If you’ve done printing, or even downloading online images, you will come across a few familiar terms that have something to do with colors — CMYK, RGB, HEX and PANTONE. While many don’t understand what these terms mean, it is very important to know them as they play a part in your artwork or files. For example, CMYK is used in most printing mediums, which is why RGB is not recommended for printing. 

Here at Gogoprint, we will discuss these terms, known as color codes, and explain their structure, uses, and what they mean.

PANTONE Code (Spot Color)

This color type is used for printing. Pantone colors, also known as spot colors, are standardized inks created by the Pantone company. This color code is usually used to ensure consistency among brands. Other than that, this color code is also essential for certain printing methods, such as silk screens and pad printing. At Gogoprint, our promotional items, stickers, envelopes and more use this color code as well. To attain this color code, you can either convert using softwares like Adobe Illustrator, or convert online. 

Pantone codes come in the form of the word “PANTONE'' with different letters and digits behind it. There are various types of Pantone codes depending on what you use for printing. 

***Note: Your artwork also has to be in vector format

CMYK Code (Process Color)

This color type is also meant for printing purposes. CMYK colors are achieved by superimposing series of dots in the 4 basic colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK) to create different final colors. CMYK is widely used in most of our printing mediums, including name cards, stickers, flyers and more! If you need a guide to convert your colors to CMYK, you can refer to our other article. 

CMYK color codes come in the form of 4 colors.

RGB Code

This color type is meant for the digital world. RGB colors are rendered on screen with the combinations of red, green and blue. In short, they are not meant for printing. For more information and conversion guides regarding RGB, you can check out our article. 

RGB color codes come in the form of 3 colors. 

HEX Code

This color code is mainly for web design. The HEX code is technically an “alternative” from the code RGB, in other words they are the same but come in different forms. Just like RGB, HEX Code is not used for printing. 

A HEX color code consists of a six-digit combination between numbers and letters, they also come with a hash symbol (#). 

Conclusion

In summary, Pantone and CMYK codes are for printing. RGB and HEX codes are for digital use. We hope the above information can help you understand these color profiles better. And who knows, this information may come in handy one day? If you’re confident with your color codes, try printing with us and get high quality printed results!